Channel-flap-laying machine



L. J. MORRISON. CHANNEL FLAP LAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-12| 1920.

Patented May 16, 1922.

[be/ign' f UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS J'. MORRISON, Oli BOSTON? MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CHANNEL-FLAP-LAYINQ MACHINE.

Patented May 16, 1922.

Application led April 12) 1920. Serial No. 373,079.

To all whom 'it fmafz/ concern Be it lrnown that I. 'Lieu/'iis J. Morrison", a eitiaenof the United States, residing at Bos ton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Channel-Flap- Laying Machines; and `I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to ma cbines for laying the channel flap on outcrsoles for boots and shoes and more particularly to improve `ments in the channel Hap laying' tools of such machines.

In the manufacture of the cheaper grades of shoes it is customary to wipe down, or lay, the channel fiap on the outsole by rubbing an ordinary steel file diagonally across the margin of the sole, the teeth of thefile first having been dulled to prevent them from tearing the stock. The surface thus produced on the file has the required tractive quality for carrying' the fiap over the channel although with some undesirable rougrheningr of the stock.` For the `better `grades of shoesiit has been customary to 1use the Goodyear channel flap laying ina- `chine disclosed` in Letters Patent of the United States No. 981.190, granted January 10, 1911 to John B. Hadaway. The rotary tool of this machine comprises a series of flap engagingr blades which imparta suecession of alternate longitudinal and? transverse .glancing blows to the flap `and thus turn it back ontheehannel. This tool `preferably is `made of metalandhence the surfaces of its flap engaging blades are smooth `and Wholly without tractive effect on the `flap except what is due `to friction.

The process of manufacturing shoes is such that after the outersole channel has been cut, the later operations on the shoe cause a distinct broadening of the channel without affecting the width of the flap. In McKay work this occurs While moulding the sole on the last and in `welt work at both the leveling and outer sole stitching operations. Under these conditions `when the Hap is laid by themachine referred to7 it does not fill the-broadened channel thus spoiling the `appearance ofthe bottom of the shoe. It has been discovered that this undesirable condition is due to the ,nature of fthe `material from `which the tool is made which necessarily provides smooth, non-tractive flap engaging surfaces having no tendency or power to stretch the "flap sufficiently to completely fill the broadened channel. It will not do to roue-hen the ends of the flap engaging blades because the blow which the tool is designed to `give would then be so harsh as to s plit the flap as it being turned bach on the channel. especially when the temper of the stoclr. is imperfect. This would cause a cripple, but those skilled in the art will recognize that if the blow can be softened thetrzuftive effect can then be added without the danger of producing cripples.

The object of the present invention is to (.toinbine `with the rigid blade of a channel 'flap laying` tool of the Goodyear type a yielding tractive element, preferably with a traetivc surface. which cooperates with the blades of the tool in a manner to dampen `or soften the glancing blows to which the channel flap is subjected.

To the :full accomplislnnent of this object it is propos-d to interposc between the tool and work an element havin a surface which is sufficiently rough 'to grip the channel flap to the required extent and to draw and stretch the `:flap as it is laid, but which also is flexible and continuous across and betweei'i all of the blow delivering blades of the tool. so that while at all times supported by these blades the result of its working back and forth and its texture is to produce a cushioning effect to the blow delivered to the channel flap. Any yielding material conformable to the shape of the tool may be employed as the cushioning element, but it is preferred to employ heavy duck or canvas since such woven fabric when stretched `over the blow-delivering blades of the tool offers the added advantage of a surface with suflicient tractive power to stretch the flap. The cushioningr element is so shaped as to provide a continuous surface over the entire face of the lHap laying tool, it being immaterial. how this is accomplished if so ar- Any yielding element covering the blow delivering blades of the Goodyear type tool, because of its flexible character and arrangement relative to the tool, will reduce the harshness of the blows delivered and act successfully to lay without splitting, channel flaps which are somewhat brittle because not in proper temper.

It will be obvious, therefore, to those skilled in the art, that a flap laying tool having the combination of elements described will add quality, accuracy and perfection to shoemalring, since its use will overcome all irregularityfand lack of uniformity now resulting from the use of the flap laying tools at present available.

combinations of parts hereinafter described in detail and then defined in its true scope in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention Figure 1 shows a rear view of the flap laying tool of said Hadaway Patent No. 981,190 having combined therewith one form of the blow dampening and flap stretching element; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionv on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the flap laying tool of the Hadaway patent having combined therewith another form of the blow dampening and flap stretching element; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4of Fig. 3.

The invention, in both forms illustrated in the drawings. comprises in its entirety ltwo main elements, namely, a blow delivering elementsuch as the tool of said Hadaway patent with its rigid, metallic fiap laying blades, and a blow dampening and flap stretching element which affords direct contact with the stock being operated upon.

Referring first to all four figures of the drawings the rotary wheel 6 which carries the blow delivering blades is mounted for a longitudinal yielding movement, through a spring 8, on a driving shaft 10 having fast and vloose pulleys (not shown) atthe' rear end, all as described in said Hadaway patent. lThe blow delivering` blades project from one face of a metallic annulus 12 which is secured by set screws 14 to the outer face of the wheel 6. These blades are in the form of a zig-zag rib 16 and two rows of alternating radial blades 18 and 20, there being spaces between the three series of blades as shown best by Figs. 2 and 4. The blade construction illustrated is that of said Hadaway patent, but those skilled in the art will recognize ythat the utility of the present improvement is not limited to that particular blade construction alone as any blade construction having like character.-

` istics or a like means of delivering a succession of blows may be combined with the blow dampening element. Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figs. l and 2, the blow dampening element therein depicted comprises a member 22 of yielding material carried by the wheel 6 in a manner to cover the operating faces of the rigid fiap laying blades whereby the blows will be delivered through said clement and 'he harshness 0f the blows thereby softened. To overcome the disadvantage, hereinbeforc referred to, of the smooth, non-tractivc surfaces offered by the metallic blades, it is preferred that the member 22 be formed of material the surface of which has tractive qualities, su'ch as heavy canvas. In Figs. 1 and 2 the member 22 is circular and preferably two ply to increase resiliency and The inventiony comprises the features and wearing quality. Grommets 24 are set around its margin, through which a draw string 26 is run. The member 22 is drawn, with reasonable tightness, across the operating faces of the blades. bridging the spaces between the three series thereof, and is held in place by tying together the ends of the draw string a 3y the back of the wheel 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The yielding action of the member 22 while continuously in engagement with the channel flap, and the snioothing` effect thereof on the action of the blades, will be understood by those skilled in the art as particularly advantageous when operating on stock that is dry or brittle because not in proper temper at the time the flap turning operation is performed, all as hereinbef'ore explained.

In Figs. 8 and 4 a. modified form of the blow dampening element is illustrated. A slight disadvantage inherent in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the inability of the operator to manipulate the shoe to the best advantage because of the continuity of the canvas across the hollow center of the wheel 6. Accordingly in the modified form a two ply canvas member 28 of cylindrical form is employed, the two layers of which are secured together by two parallel lines of stitching 30 and 32 at each margin forming pockets for draw strings 34 and 36. The diameter of the member 28 is substantially the diameter of the annulus 12 and it is positioned on the annulus as shown best in Fig. 2, the tying of the draw strings holding it firmly in place. The effect on the channel fiap is the same in the use of either form of the blow dampening element. that is, the succession of glancing blows from the blades are less harsh and the tool is enabled to stretch the flap to completely fill the channel, thus perfecting this particular operation on the shoe.

` The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and its preferred embodiment having been specifically described, what is claimed as new, is

1. A channel flap laying machine having, in combination, a fiap laying tool comprising a series of unyielding elements for delivering a succession of blows to the channel flap, and yielding means in engagement with the operative faces of such elements and bridgv ing thc spaces therebetween, whereby the blows are delivered through the yielding means and are dampened or softened.

2. A channel flap laying machine having, in combination, a flap laying tool compris'- ing a series of metallic elements for deli-ven ing a succession of blows to the channel flap, and a piece of flexible material overlying the entire series of such elements through which the blows are delivered and their harshness reduced.

3. A channel flap laying machine having, in combination, a flap laying tool compris ing a series of rigid elements having smooth, non-tractive, operative faces for delivering a succession of blows to the channel flap, and a continuous element carried by said rigid elements comprising a member constructed to engage the channel flap with a tractive effect.

4. A channel flap laying machine having, in combination, a iiap laying tool comprising a series of rigid elements having smooth, non-tractivc, operative faces for delivering a succession of blows to the channel flap, and a piece of heavy canvas laid in contact with the smooth faces of said rigid elements the texture of which provides a tractive surface for engaging the channel flap.

5. A channel flap laying machine of the type in which the tool comprises arotary annulus having a series of rigid, metallic flap laying blades projecting from one flat face thereof having, in. combination with said blades, means movable therewith for reducing the harshness of the blows delivered by said blades, said means comprising a relatively thiclr, non-metallic member having an uninterrupted surface extending across and covering the operative faces of Athe entire series of blades.

6. A channel flap laying machine of the type in which the tool comprises a rotary annulus having a series of rigid, metallic flap laying blades projecting from one flat face thereof having, in combination with said blades, a heavy canvas covering so mounted on the annulus that the blades are constrained to act therethrough, said canvas providing a yielding element continuously engaging the channel flap by virtue of which the successive blows delivered by the blades are partly merged into each other and their harshness reduced.

7. A channel flap laying machine of the type in which the tool comprises a rotary annulus having a series of rigid, metallic flap laying blades projecting from one liat face thereof for delivering a succession of blows to the channel flap, having means continuously in engagement with the operative faces of the entire series of blades for cushioning the force of said blows on the channel flap.

LEWIS J. MORRISON. 

